Flock Together
by Samurai5725
Summary: This is a sequel to UpsidedownShortcake's Birds of a Feather. What happens after Karkat throws John back through the transportalizer? The fight isn't close to over and everything hinges on John's alluded destiny as the White Queen's hero... if only Karkat can get to him before Jack finds him and murders him. AU, John/Karkat, Rated M for future sexual content.
1. Alone Again

**Hi Everyone. I Did Not Want To Take Over This Story Or Anything Rude, But I Just Loved It So Much I Can Not Stop Thinking About How I Would Have Had It Turn Out. So… I'm Sorry About This If It Is Not Very Good, Since The Original Is So Amazing. But I Hope You Enjoy My AU Of An AU or My Fanfiction Of A Fanfiction, As It Were.**

**For Those Who Do Not Know, The Original Is Called Birds Of A Feather And It Is By****UpsidedownShortcake****, Who Is A Very Fantastic Writer And You Should Definitely Read All Of Her Work .**

******As A Side Note, This Fan Story Ignores The Epilogue Of The Original And The Second Half Of The Finale Chapter. You Will Need To Read It To Understand This Story (Most Likely).**

* * *

After throwing John through the transportalizer, Karkat had closed his eyes, resolved for what he knew must happen next. Jack was coming through the door and he would murder him, plain and simple. Or maybe he would drag it out a little.

And then he would follow John right back to Earth and kill him there. Just because Karkat had sent him back to Earth, that didn't make the human any safer and the troll's thin hands shook at the control panel as he realized the very real truth that Jack could easily transportalize back to Earth, find the human, and take his life.

Pained black eyes shifted from where Sollux was just barely holding back the door and the carapaces to the control panel. It was the only transpotalizer that he knew of… maybe it was the only one that existed. Hands shook for a moment of uncertainty, but at the crashing sound of the carapaces breaking through Sollux' defense, he lunged for a chair, hefted it over his head, and brought it crashing down on the control panel, shattering the little knobs, dials, and screens… and his heart along with it. He may have closed the path for Jack, but he had also sealed it for himself…

Though if he didn't hurry and think of some way to escape, his fate was sealed just as surely as the pathway was. "Gog dammit," he cried as Sollux was shoved to the side and Jack stormed into the room amongst a wave of his minions. One look from the shattered control panel to Karkat had the carapacian glowering, and a darkness flowed from him that chilled Karkat to his very core.

"Maim him, but leave the killing blow for me," Jack ordered his carapacian army. The black hard-shelled creatures advanced on Karkat, who was thankful that he carried his sickles around for just such occasions. For being a scientific researcher, Karkat was still a troll, and he was skilled with his weapon of choice. Carapace after carapace fell to his blades, though Karkat could feel the room getting colder as Jack seethed, watching in fury as one carapace after the other fell dead at Karkat's feet, red blood painting Karkat and the walls magnificently.

In their distracted states, neither Karkat nor Jack noticed a certain juggalo – whose clothes were now decorated with red and indigo – sneaking into the room and kneeling at Sollux' side. He managed to revive the mustard blood just as the last carapace fell to Karkat's blades. With an outraged snarl, Jack finally leaped at the exhausted troll, who wouldn't have been able to put up much of a fight if it hadn't been for

Just as the last carapace fell, Karkat shuddered, exhausted, and slipped involuntarily to one knee. Jack, who was enraged beyond belief, flicked out his knife and stalked forward slowly. As the dangerous man – once his boss and self-proclaimed 'lusus' – approached, Karkat struggled back to his feet and glared at him with smoldering black eyes like a cornered animal. But his chest was heaving as he struggled to catch his breath and the candy red blood that slicked his skin was not all from the carapaces.

Chuckling vilely, Jack advanced on Karkat, and even though his knife was small, he easily batted away Karkat's pathetic attempt to strike at him. After his attack, Karkat sank to one knee involuntarily. "Fuck," he grimaced, but his body simply wasn't listening anymore.

"Any last words?" Jack smirked as he brought his knife up under Karkat's throat, the cool blade pressing against the soft flesh. A drop of crimson welled up beneath the silver edge before dropping down Karkat's throat and beneath the neckline of his black shirt.

Swallowing thickly, Karkat clenched his teeth, readying some comeback, but someone else beat him to it.

"I have some for you. Honk, honk, motherfucker," Gamzee said from Karkat's left. Both Karkat's and Jack's heads swiveled just as Gamzee barreled into the man, knocking him to the side. Karkat winced as Jack went down, expecting his throat to get sliced in the exchange, but he cracked one eye open when he felt nothing but the continuing, steady pressure of the blade and saw to his surprise that the knife was floating there on its own, encased in a glowing blue light.

Black eyes snapped up to see Sollux collapsed near the door, mustard blood dripping from between his lips even as his eyes glowed with his psionic power. "You… owe me, KK," he said, his voice a little strained, but Karkat couldn't help the momentary half smile before he spun back to see how his moirail was doing.

Gamzee had pinned Jack down and bludgeoned him in the head with one of his clubs. Even without his knife, Jack was still scary, but it seemed Gamzee had actually succeeded in knocking him unconscious, or perhaps even killing him. Karkat could hardly believe it and, it seemed, neither could Gamzee, who kept bashing the carapace until red began to coat the club. Coming to his senses – and recognizing the imminent danger of a violent Gamzee – Karkat stepped forward, placing one hand on his moirail's shoulder.

"Fuck, Gamzee, enough," he said, grimacing at the carnage littered around the room and knowing the rest of the lab couldn't possibly be much better and was probably a thousand fucking times worse.

…But at least John had made it out, right?

The thought of his newly found matesprit made Karkat sigh with a heavy heart, but the fight still wasn't over and Sollux, ever the responsible one, told Gamzee to go find the others. "I don't fucking know why you aren't the leader, Sollux," Karkat muttered as he eyed Jack a moment more before looking out the door after Gamzee. It looked like a fucking rainbow of gore out there.

"Because I'm too lazy, now help me up, KK," Sollux said, raising his arms slightly. Karkat loosened his grip on his sickles before hesitantly returning them to their sheaths. Uneasily, he glanced at Jack's battered body one more time to calm his nerves a little, but he froze when the spot where Jack's body had been was empty. Frantically, Karkat's black eyes flicked over the mound of carapacian bodies scattered throughout the room but none of them resembled him even remotely... All that remained where Jack's body had lain was a few red smears of blood on the floor and then… nothing.

"Fuck," Karkat said, Sollux mirroring with a curse of his own.

* * *

After scouring the place for survivors – and Jack – Karkat and the others had found that they were alone. As terrifying as it was, Jack was still alive and on the loose. Karkat's first thoughts went yet again to John and the possibility of there being another transportalizer. But there was nothing he could do about it right now and he worked with a heavy heart as they gathered up their friends and began to revive them and heal them in one of the rarely used rooms in the lab. Thankfully, though the lab didn't have spare respiteblocks, it did have mock-recuperacoons which were crafted of glass that were used to study near-death specimens as well as the effects of sopor slime on other species – as Karkat had found with John, sopor slime could be incredibly toxic to other races.

Gamzee had gathered nearly everyone in this room and when Karkat and Sollux entered, he had his forehead pressed against the glass of a recuperacoon that held a Tavros who was in very poor shape, indeed. A hole had been stabbed clean through his chest. If he even still had a chest organ, Karkat would have been surprised.

If there had been room, Gamzee probably would have jumped right in the recuperacoon with Tavros, but he needed the sopor slime less than the others and Nepeta was taking up the rest of the room in the recuperacoon. Her body was in bad shape and olive blood was oozing from her into the slime, leaking from the many bruises she had. Her entire body had been pummeled, it seemed, and she looked awful, bruised, and malformed. Equius was hovering by her side of the recuperacoon, looking bad but none too worse for the wear – did he have a few more broken teeth? Karkat could hardly tell, considering how Equius normally looked.

Then his gaze strayed to Eridan and Feferi. They were in another recuperacoon together, both looking worse than the other, however that was fucking possible. Kanaya was the one sitting by them, though she was holding her stomach, which she had wrapped up, but jade was leaking through the cloth bandage. She looked upset – something that was rare for her normally serene self. Sollux had already bounded over to her and was staring through the glass at Feferi. "How are they?" he asked, a strained sound in his voice.

"Eridan… probably isn't going to make it. He was cut nearly in half," Kanaya responded with her usual careful speech, though she seemed distracted.

"And FF?" Sollux pressed, obviously caring more for what Karkat knew was his matesprit.

Kanaya gazed through the glass at the royal-blood for a time before responding. "She should survive. Shot through the chest, but it was a clean wound." Sollux visually relaxed before he finally slid into a sitting position at the base of the glass.

"Sollux?" Kanaya said, as though just actually noticing that he was there. She stood and looked at him a moment before speaking to him again, "You need the slime. There is still space over there…" There was one last glass recuperacoon, which Terezi and Aradia were standing around though there didn't seem to be anyone in it.

Curious, Karkat stepped forward, partially to help Sollux, partially to see how his once potential matesprit had fared. As he walked over with his friend, he soon became aware that there was a third person there, on the ground. A growl curled up his lips when he saw Vriska. All of this had been her fault. Terezi and Aradia seemed to be thinking the same thing. In fact, Terezi's cane, which she was currently leaning on like a walking stick, was covered with Vriska's teal blood. "Should we put her in the slime or not?" she was asking Aradia in her grating, high-pitched voice.

"Fuck no," Karkat interrupted as he dragged Sollux over and helped him into the vat. He remembered the anger and then helplessness he'd felt when she'd controlled his moirail and nearly made him murder his matesprit and then threatened to turn he and John in to Jack if he said anything. And she had been directly responsible for the carnage today. As far as Karkat was concerned, she deserved everything she got.

The mutant blood jumped when he heard a soft voice from behind him. "W-well, uh, no one died," Tavros said weakly from his spot.

"Tav?" Gamzee jumped to his feet and touched Tavros' face, which was sticking out of the top of the recuperacoon. "It's a motherfucking miracle," he said, in a pained voice as though he might break down again.

Karkat resisted the urge to go to his moirail's side and instead turned a fiery glare on the weakened troll. "Just because none of us trolls died – yet – doesn't mean no one died," he said, thinking of the carapaces, "And John…" he trailed off, hating to show emotion to these fuckasses but unable to restrain it. He turned his back on everyone, without realizing exactly the conclusion they would jump to.

"Motherfuck… I'm so sorry, bro," Gamzee said, his voice softer and closer than it had been. One arm wrapped around his shoulders as his moirail came to comfort him, assuming that John had been killed.

"Oh,, oh no," Tavros whimpered meekly from his place in the slime, muddy tears already leaking from his eyes for his lost moirail.

As he cried, Tavros tilted his head forward, accidentally hitting Nepeta in the face with his oversized horn. "MeOWW," she protested and Equius stood up, about to berate Tavros before Karkat pushed away from Gamzee, shouting.

"Look, you fucking wrigglers, this isn't the time for fucking crying and all that fuckassery. We have to get back out there and find Jack. John isn't dead yet, but he will be if Jack finds him. I sent him back to Earth and broke the transportalizer before Jack could follow, but if he finds another one before we stop him, John is a sitting fucking aquatic feather beast." He didn't tell the others just why Jack would go to the trouble of crossing time and space simply to kill a random human boy and he could tell everyone except for Gamzee and Tavros were questioning it, but he didn't feel the need to tell everyone and their fucking lusus about just how important John really was. That he was some kind of fucking hero handpicked by the white queen or some shit.

With the news that John wasn't actually dead, Tavros perked up a little bit, "Then, uh,,, Vriska might be able to help,,, or, uh, not, I guess," he mumbled, looking away from Karkat's glare and accidentally smacking Nepeta in the face again.

"Oww!" she squeaked as Equius jumped to his feet again and shot a glare at Tavros, only to falter and sit back down with a mumble of, "Excuse me, highblood," when Gamzee towered over him with a dark expression on his face.

Huffing, Karkat glanced at the teal blood, who looked in awful shape. Somewhere along the line one of her arms had been ripped off, plus the stab wound wasn't doing her any favors. "Why do you want to save her so fucking much anyway?"

"She's not really, uh, evil, I think, she just made some bad decisions but she's really, uh, good at finding stuff and,,, she could help," he said, seeming to struggle to find even a few reasons. Karkat wouldn't deny that having her on their side would be incredibly useful, but he couldn't forget all of the things she had done and he doubted she was really capable of turning over a new leaf.

"Whatever. Fuck. Ok, I guess we can take a vote on it or some shit," he finally muttered, glancing around the room at those who were still aware.

Sollux, from his recuperacoon, spoke up a little then in his strained voice, "First, I need to know, did she do that to FF?"

It was Kanaya who answered this time. "No. The only one Vriska hurt was Tavros," she responded.

Raising an eyebrow, Karkat shot Tavros a look. "Are you fucking serious, Tavros?"

Shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny, Tavros faltered to reply, "I, uh,,,"

"Leave a motherfucking brother alone, man," Gamzee finally spoke up, addressing Karkat, though the sentiment applied to them all.

Well, at least Vriska hadn't single-handedly injured anyone there… other than Tavros. At least she had that much going for her. "All right, would all of the fucking nookstains who think we should revive Vriska raise their gog damn hands or some shit already?" he said, glancing around the room. Tavros couldn't really raise a hand, but he tilted his head to raise one of his horns – avoiding hitting Nepeta this time. Equius, Aradia, Terezi, and Sollux all joined him.

"And those against?" Karkat finished, counting as… absolutely fucking no one raised their hands. Kanaya was staring down into her lap as though she might vote if someone else did, but Nepeta, Eridan, and Feferi were out for the count and Gamzee seemed set on not voting.

"Fine, but you guys are fucking dealing with her when she betrays us again," Karkat grumbled as he went to sit heavily beside Kanaya, his wounds finally getting the better of him. Unable to hold back her motherly instincts, Kanaya started fussing over him immediately, tending to his wounds with a first aid kit she'd found in the room.

As she treated him, Karkat was silent, going over the horror of the day's events in his mind and hoping that maybe this was all just another one of his nightmares – that he was really just cuddled up in the darkness of John's pile back in his hive, having nightmares because he wasn't sleeping in the sopor slime, but dealing with them just to be close to his new found matesprit.

But even as he hoped for that to be the truth, he knew, staring down at his bloodied hands, that he was alone yet again.


	2. Pesterchum

**Hi Again Everyone. In Case You Were Wondering, The Main Inspiration For Me To Write This Story Was The Mention That John Is Destined To Be Some Great Hero Of The White Queen. I Want To See Him Fulfill That Prophecy.**

**Also, Please Feel Free To Review Or Drop Me A Line If You Want. I Like To Talk And I Am Open To Suggestions, Too.**

* * *

The next few days were mostly uneventful. Those who could, set up a perimeter around the lab and searched it for supplies and others things, but those who were in bad shape couldn't afford to be moved yet. Still, they knew they couldn't stay there. Whether Jack was chasing down John as Karkat claimed or was plotting to kill them all, he was planning something and they simply couldn't sit back and allow it to happen... although it was hard to say if they could really stop it even if they all worked together (which was a laugh in and of itself).

In the down time, Karkat had taken to patrolling. Gamzee was the only troll he shared a special connection with, but the juggalo was too busy caring for his matesprit to have much time for him these days, and Karkat was trying not to be needy, even though his mind was a maelstrom of anguish and frustration. Over and over again, he played those last few moments with John through his head. Just knowing John loved him had satisfied him and prepared him to meet death in order to save him. But he knew that his death wouldn't save John at all. Not so long as Jack, and beyond that, the black queen, lived. Really, Karkat didn't know anything about this queen, other than the kingdom where she ruled was where the carapaces came from. It wasn't Alternia, however...

So what if there were thousands of transportalizers around? That was probably how the carapaces got back and forth from their home planet and Alternia and what if Jack already had John? If so, perhaps Karkat's last ditch effort to save John had unintentionally doomed him, putting him out of reach of Karkat and others who could protect him.

"FUCK!" He yelled, cursing his thoughts, much to the surprise of Terezi, who had been patrolling with him.

"Feeling a little black there, Karkles?" she teased, though she frowned slightly at his returned growl.

"Not now, Terezi," Karkat mumbled, sighing.

Even though she usually did whatever she wanted without care for anyone else, she did have a special little place in her chest organ for Karkat, who had once been her kind of, almost matesprit. "It's John, isn't it?" she asked, not ignorant to how close the two had been.

There was a slight shake of Karkat's head, but when he remembered that she couldn't see it, he sighed again and huffed a 'No'.

"Yeah, because that's convincing," she stuck out her tongue and pulled Karkat to the side, halting their patrol and taking him into a room they had just been passing – the lab where John had been held, coincidentally.

"I don't want to fucking hear that I have to accept it and move on with my life, Terezi," he said, though he didn't resist and sat down in his old computer chair heavily, sighing for the third time in a span of about fifteen minutes.

Instead of trying to give him a lecture on how he needed to grow the fuck up and stop being such a fucking wriggler, however, Terezi didn't say much at all. In fact, she grabbed Karkat's laptop and turned it on. "What the fuck, Terezi. Now isn't exactly the time to play me weird fucking Legislacerator Judy clips or whatever the fuck you're doing."

He groaned when the computer booted and she began to lick the screen to get a taste of where everything was on it. However, he perked up when she pointed to a certain icon, one that Karkat didn't even remember, in fact. "That one," she said.

"What the fuck?" Karkat asked as he leaned forward, wiping her saliva off of the screen so he could get a better look at it. Pesterchum? What in fucking Alternia was that? But then he remembered... the first day he had learned that John could talk was the day he found this human application on his computer. Black eyes glanced curiously at Terezei. Normally, he'd throw a major fucking fit that she had been using his laptop without his permission, but now he thought he should actually feel... thankful. Ugh.

A double click brought up the pesterchum client. In fact, it seemed like it was automatically designed to integrate with his trollian account. Karkat got excited at first... but then realized he didn't have any pesterchum contacts. "I don't fucking know his handle. Fuck." He gripped the edges of the computer screen tightly, scratching the edges of the hard plastic backing with his claws.

"Hehehe," Terezi began to cackle as she oftentimes did, but Karkat was not fucking laughing. Was this all some big fucking joke of hers? Offer him a piece of cake, only to dangle it just out of reach? He might expect it from Vriska but...

He paused mid-thought when she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. Some strange human characters were scrawled on it, ones that Karkat couldn't read, but thankfully, his keyboard had the translation for the keys already printed on them. "This is his friend's handle. He gave it to me at the Perigree's Eve party."

For once in his life, Karkat didn't bother to question why and instead lunged at the piece of paper like it was the single most important thing he had ever encountered. Terezi merely laughed as Karkat clicked add contact and began to type in 'turntechGodhead'.

'_Please be online, please be online,'_ Karkat thought to himself, blinking when his request was accepted and a chat window appeared on the screen.

**- turntechGodhead [TG] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]-**

**TG:** if youre here to start a passionate love affair with me youll need to get in fucking line jegus

**TG: **how did you get this handle anyway

**CG:** SHUT THE FUCK UP.

**CG:** AND TELL ME JOHN'S HANDLE.

**TG:** woah dude calm down i cant do both at the same time

**TG: **i mean im fucking awesome but i still can't do everything what do you take me for

**CG:** OK WELL I NEED TO TALK TO HIM SO HURRY THE FUCK UP

**TG:** chill man who are you seriously

**CG:** I DON'T EXPECT A NOOKSNIFFER LIKE YOU TO UNDERSTAND BUT IF YOU WON'T GIVE ME HIS NAME AT LEAST GIVE HIM MY HANDLE AND TELL HIM IT'S KARKAT.

**- carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG]-**

"God, he's just like you, Terezi, I can't fucking stand him," Karkat groaned as he exited the chat with this human friend of John's.

Laughing, the girl pushed her face up against the laptop, but she pouted when she realized that he had already closed the pesterlog. "Aw, I want to see what he is like."

"Well, we're supposed to be on patrol," when she seemed about to protest, Karkat shook his head. "I'm trying to get a hold of John to protect his life. I doubt your reasons are very urgent."

She stared him down with her blank red eyes and he shuddered after a moment. "You owe me," she stated, no room for protest in her voice.

Giving in, Karkat sighed but nodded, "Ok, ok, just... use one of the other lab computers. I want to keep this one in case John messages..."

He trailed off mid-sentence. Speak of the devil (or fuckass, in this case)...

**- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]-**

**EB:** karkat?

**EB:** this better not be another one of dave's pranks...

**CG:** JOHN?

**CG:** HOLY FUCK.

**EB:** is it really you? i don't- i was so scared.

**CG:** JOHN, I- FUCK I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY.

**CG:** JACK IS COMING FOR YOU.

**CG:** I DESTROYED THE TRANSPORTALIZER, BUT HE HAS PROBABLY FOUND ANOTHER ONE BY NOW.

**CG: **I DON'T EVEN KNOW.

**CG: **HE COULD BE IN YOUR LAWNRING RIGHT NOW.

**EB:** oh no.

**EB: **what should i do?

**EB:** and what about you?

**EB: **is everyone ok?

As Karkat typed, his hands were shaking. He had to remind himself to take deep breaths, but he couldn't help the flood of emotions that had broken through the dam of his feigned apathy. Oh, gog, it was actually John. He was still alive. Everything was fine. He hadn't royally fucking messed everything up by sending John somewhere where Jack could easily find and kill him and Karkat couldn't protect him.

**EB:** karkat?

**EB:** ...

**EB:** karkat?

**EB:** KARKAT?

Finally the blinking of the client window caught Karkat's attention and he jumped, realizing he'd lost himself in thought again.

**CG:** SHIT SORRY.

**CG:** I JUST...

**EB:** you just what?

**CG:** I WAS WORRIED.

**CG:** I PHYSICALLY FELT ILL I WAS SO WORRIED.

**CG:** AND FUCK IF I AM PUKING IN A...

**CG:** ANYWAY JOHN YOU HAVE TO RUN.

**CG: **OR HIDE.

**CG:** BUT EITHER WAY, YOU NEED TO LEARN TO FIGHT.

**EB:** i've never been much of a fighter.

**EB:** i'm definitely more of a lover than a fighter.

Ugh, he could just picture John giving him one of those bizarre yet absolutely sexy wiggly eyebrow expressions. Rolling his eyes, Karkat leaned forward to type out his response.

**CG:** THAT'S JUST FUCKING GREAT, FUCKASS.

**CG:** LET ME KNOW HOW THAT WORKS OUT FOR YOU, IDIOT.

**EB:** jeez, you don't have to be mean about it.

**CG:** ANYWAY, I'M BEING SERIOUS.

**CG:** I WON'T REST UNTIL I FIND YOU...

**CG:** BUT YOU MIGHT NEED TO DEFEND YOURSELF.

**CG:** AS UNREALISTIC AS YOU BEING ABLE TO DEFEND YOURSELF AGAINST A MURDEROUS, BLOODTHIRSTY, PSYCHOPATHIC, RAMPAGING CARAPACIAN SOUNDS.

**EB: **wow karkat, it's unlike you to be so optimistic.

**CG:** SHUT UP, I'M BEING SERIOUS HERE.

**EB:** it's ok, i'll figure something out.

**EB:** but what about you?

**EB:** don't you think i was worried?

**EB:** i physically WAS ill

**CG:** WHY AM I NOT FUCKING SURPRISED.

**CG:** I'M FINE.

**CG:** YOUR MOIRAIL IS ALIVE, TOO.

**CG:** EVERYONE'S ALIVE, ALTHOUGH ERIDAN IS PROBABLY ON THE WAY OUT.

**CG:** THE SOPOR SLIME HASN'T BEEN DOING MUCH FOR HIM.

**CG:** AND WE CAN'T STAY HERE MUCH LONGER.

**EB:** tell tav that i miss him and i'm sorry i can't be there in person for him, but he can always pester me.

**EB:** actually, what's his handle?

**CG:** I ALMOST FEEL LIKE YOU MISSED HIM MORE THAN ME.

**EB:** you know that's not true.

**EB:** but i could have used his help over the past few days.

**EB:** then again, i wouldn't have needed it if I had had you.

Karkat could almost sense John holding his arms out in that silly way he did, silently asking for a hug. If only he could oblige it. But it was enough for now to know that John was alive. That there was still a chance to fix this huge mess that Karkat had managed to create (as he always somehow managed to).

**CG:** YOU'LL HAVE ME SOON ENOUGH.

**CG:** IF YOU MANAGE TO KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE.

**CG:** BUT EITHER WAY, JACK WILL KNOW THE COORDINATES TO YOUR HIVE, SO YOU NEED TO GET AWAY FROM THERE.

**EB:** it's alright, i know where i can go.

**EB:** i don't know what i can do about my dad though.

**EB:** he's always so busy working, it's not like he's going to like the idea of taking a vacation or moving or something.

**CG:** WELL WHATEVER YOU DO, MAKE IT QUICK.

**CG:** I HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE JACK TO FIND YOU, BUT IF KILLING YOU IS HIS MISSION, HE WON'T REST UNTIL HE DOES.

**EB:** i know, karkat.

**EB:** i'll figure out something with my dad.

**EB:** i guess i should get going, but i...

**CG:** WHAT?

**EB:** i'm so happy that you're alive.

**CG:** ME TOO, FUCKASS.

**CG:** LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY.

**EB:** goodbye, karkat.

**EB:** for now.

**- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering carcinoGeneticist [CG]-**

For a few minutes, Karkat just stared at the pesterlog, unable to close it. It felt like he had been trapped under a rock and a great weight had finally been lifted off of his chest. It was only when Terezi began to lick his face that he became aware that he had silent tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Urgh, Terezi!" he batted her away as he shut his laptop and tucked it under one arm. She giggled as he furtively wiped at his face, embarrassed but relieved at the same time.

At least now he knew without a doubt in his mind what had to be done. They had to find a transportalizer and they had to get to John before Jack found him. Hopefully John would do a good enough job hiding until Karkat was able to get to Earth somehow and rescue him.

Just as the troll was standing to finish his patrol and return to the others (or at least Tavros and Gamzee) with news that John was still alive, Gamzee pushed open the door to the room, blinking when he saw the two in there.

"Karkat, Vriska's gone motherfuckin missing. Everyone's looking for her," he said, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his pants.

Cursing under his breath, Karkat followed Terezi as she bolted from the room to hunt down her rival.


	3. Training

**Hi Again Everyone. Sorry If This Chapter Is A Little Short, But It Seemed Like A Good Stopping Point. Hope It Is Still Good. Back To Karkat With The Next One. **

**Also I Am Going To Ignore That In BoaF, Time Moves Faster In Alternia Compared With Earth (It Was About One Earth Day To One Alternian Week) Because Otherwise Talking Over The Pesterchum Client Would Be Impossible (Since It Would Take Like Half An Hour Or Something In Alternia To Wait For One Of John's Replies And Karkat's Would Come To John Almost Instantaneously.) Sorry If This Upsets Anyone.**

* * *

After closing the pesterlog, John sat in his chair a moment longer, practicing taking deep breaths and exhaling them slowly, wiling his pulse to return to normal. It had been a few days since the whole debacle on Alternia that had ultimately led to him winding up back in his own bed, screaming and convinced that Karkat, Tavros, and everyone else were dead.

His father had kind of comforted him, telling him that it was all a bad dream, and John wanted to believe it, but he knew it wasn't possible. Not when his father also claimed that he had been at Dave's the past few weeks and the junk food had probably been the cause of the nightmare. John knew for a fact that he hadn't been at Dave's and while he was thankful that his friend had covered for him, he was also furious when Dave seemed resistant to discussing everything that had happened.

So what if John started hyperventilating every time he talked about it? He needed to. He needed his moirail... But Tavros was... And then he would break into hysterics that Dave couldn't deal with. Rose diagnosed it as severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but even though she insisted he needed help, he refused, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The second day, John had fallen violently ill. His father had taken him to the hospital, though he knew his dad was sweating the bills as he always did and though he felt guilty, he couldn't rouse himself to care. It was as though all emotion had been drained from him – the only way he could deal things was by locking his emotions away. Feeling anything at all reminded him of something about the trolls, from the awkward way Tavros uncertainly laughed at himself, to the way Gamzee was always so chill, to the way Karkat... _oh God, Karkat_... made him want to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time.

It was all too much.

On the third day, John had been released from the hospital back home, with orders from the doctors for him not to move around too much, get plenty of rest, and drink plenty of fluids. His stomach was weaker than ever, so only bland foods like crackers and chicken noodle soup were recommended. John almost had to be taken back to the hospital when he remembered how the trolls would have called it cluckbeast noodle soup and started sobbing so hard he could barely breathe.

It was on the fourth day when he was allowed back onto his computer. His father was strict about it and limited his hours, not wanting him to do anything too taxing or stay up late. John had half-heartedly decided to contact Dave when the chat box had flashed up, with Dave making the first move. After a brief exchange, his friend had passed him along a handle – carcinoGeneticist – and said it was some guy named Karkat.

John nearly had a panic attack right there, but he forced himself to stay calm without getting too hopeful as he shakingly messaged CG.

And now here he was, staring at the pesterlog, his hands pressed to his mouth as tears traced paths down his cheeks. He knew Karkat was right about Jack – and he had to get moving – but for a moment, just a moment longer, he had to treasure this, the way he felt himself coming back together. He was a little tentative in trusting that this mysterious person was really Karkat, but who else would know about Jack? Who else spoke like that?

It was surreal, after how much he'd worked himself up the past few days to finally realize everything was ok, but after he took the necessary moment to gather himself, there was a purpose back in his shining sapphire eyes – and that purpose was to keep himself alive and get back to Karkat and the others in whatever way possible.

**- ectoBiologist [EB] began pestering turntechGodhead [TG]-**

**EB:** hey dave.

**TG:** hey john hows it going

**TG:** dont tell me you somehow psychically knew that i just finished dropping some sick fires man you should hear these ill beats

**EB:** maybe later.

**EB:** actually i have a favor to ask you.

**TG:** yeah i guess since you ask nicely you can have my autograph for free

**TG:** shipping and handling is still five bucks though

**EB:** hehehe, actually i was wondering if i could come stay with you for a while.

**EB:** i need to learn how to fight and you're the most bad-ass motherfucker i know, excuse my language.

**TG:** fuck your language man how fucking rude bro

**- timaeusTestified [TT] began pestering ectoBiologist [EB] -**

**TT:** So I hear you need to learn to fight.

**EB:** woah, yeah, did dave tell you?

**EB:** apparently i'm in danger, and not only do i need to learn to fight but me and my dad kind of need somewhere to hide for a while.

**TT:** Pack your things.

**TT:** And your dad.

**TT:** I'll be there in three hours.

**- timaeusTestified [TT] ceased pestering ectoBiologist [EB] -**

**EB:** i think your brother is spying on you dave.

**EB:** he just messaged me and told me he'd be here in a few hours.

**EB:** I guess he's bringing me back to your place?

**TG:** oh shit dude

**TG:** is he going to teach you to fight

**TG:** can i have your stuff when you die

**EB:** no way! i'm going to have like, a shrine built around me out of my nic cage dvds and my posters are going to be taped up inside my coffin.

**EB:** hehehe, i seriously have that in my official will.

**TG:** you would

**TG:** it just figures

**TG:** not that i want any of your shitty nic cage movies they arent even good ironically

**EB:** hey! you take that back.

**EB:** nic cage is the best thing that ever happened, don't deny it.

**EB:** anyway, i need to pack and start convincing my dad that we're going to be moving in three hours, so, i'll talk to you later.

**TG:** see ya try not to let my bro murder you

**EB:** hehe, i'll try, bye.

**- ectoBiologist [EB] ceased pestering turntechGodhead [TG]-**

Even though it had only been a few days since he'd last smiled, it felt like ages and the feeling was a welcome one. It was strange how only a few days with the trolls had changed his life so completely and utterly, but he was okay with that… so long as everyone survived. Plus, if what Jack had said was true about his destiny, he doubted he could have avoided tumbling into this mess for long, whether the trolls had deliberately sought him out or not.

And so John began to pack up his stuff, lamenting just how heavy Colonel Sassacre's Daunting Text of Magical Frivolity and Practical Japery was. It was just about the last thing he wanted to leave behind, but it was excessively heavy to take along on a quest that he had no idea how long would last – if it ever ended. At least, he realized with a little mixed outrage and relief, Karkat had Liv Taylor and his Nic Cage DVD collection, which he'd brought John around Perigree's Eve.

The boy set up about picking out things he couldn't live without – like all of his posters – and packing them up. Once he had packed up everything in his room that he wanted, he knew it was time to face his father – a task he should have already taken care of but had been putting off.

Swallowing thickly, John made his way downstairs, looking around for his dad… only to discover his father wasn't there.

How typical.

"I was so sick yesterday that I had to go to the hospital, yet he couldn't even stick around for a single day," John pouted to himself as he looked around the abandoned house, gathering up any other items that he wanted. At least he would be free of all of these harlequin dolls once they went to Dave's. The only problem was Dave's bro's fascination with puppets. Augh. John didn't know what was worse.

Soon enough, a few hours had passed and a car was pulling into the driveway. John jumped up from his seat on the couch, hoping it was his dad, but the man stepping from the car was not his father at all, but Dave's bro. The man sauntered up the drive to knock casually on the door. Biting his lower lip, John opened it.

"My dad's not home yet…" he said softly, frowning. "Also, how did you get here from Texas in three hours?"

Dirk leaned against the doorframe and smirked, exuding cool. "All right, my little man. Well, if you're in danger, it wouldn't be the best idea to stick around. Know where he works?" As he spoke, he flicked one hand through his pointed blonde hair casually.

"Erm…" John paused when just at that moment, another car pulled in – his father's car.

Chuckling to himself, Dirk turned on one heel to stride from the house again, "Man's got good timing," he remarked.

John couldn't agree more and he grabbed his bags and followed Dirk out of the house, tagging along behind him. His father got out of his car and met them halfway, looking at the pair with a slightly confused expression. "Are you going to Dave's again so soon? With how sick you've been lately, I don't know if I can approve," he said. Of course he never wanted to limit his son, but it wouldn't be good for John's health for him to be constantly moving back and forth across the country all the time.

"I'm sorry you came all this way, Dirk, but John has been under the weather lately and travel wouldn't be good for him," John's dad said, addressing the Strider.

"Dad," John started, wondering how he could explain this all when suddenly Dirk grabbed the older man and threw him into the backseat of his convertible before grabbing John and jumping over the side of the car.

Slamming the car into reverse, he spun out of the driveway just as the front door to John's house opened and someone – or something – peeked out. John shrieked upon seeing the glaring, beady little eye lost in what looked like simply a shadow in the darkness of the house, but he knew quite well was a certain black Carapacian.

"Who was that?" John's dad asked as Dirk sped down the road and the house quickly faded into the distance. John didn't know how he'd begin to explain, but he had at least three hours to do so before they arrived in Texas.

* * *

The car ride back was around five hours or so, with Dirk only going about twenty miles per hour over the speed limit at any given time. The few times they passed a cop, John expected them to get pulled over, but nothing would happen and he'd glance at the speedometer, amazed to find it at the perfect speed, yet any other time he looked at it, it was going anywhere from 70 miles per hour to over 100.

Still, that was plenty of time for John to fumble through trying to explain what was going on to his dad and Dirk. Dave's bro, thankfully, accepted everything with nothing more than a silent nod. John's dad, however, took more convincing. A lot more convincing. If it hadn't been for the sight of Jack just as they'd left the house, he probably wouldn't have believed at all.

But once he had finally been convinced, he became subdued, mulling it over. There were his jobs to think of, and their house, and the bills... but he loved John, and everything he had ever done, he had done for his son. Now was no different and he was willing to give up the life he had had if it meant protecting his son.

"There's an empty apartment in the building where Dave and I live," Dirk said as he continued to drive far more quickly than was surely safe. It was his way of saying that they could move in there, at least temporarily, and there were always more jobs for John's father to busy himself with while John learned to fight.


End file.
